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O2 opens the largest shop in Braunschweig’s city center – a ray of hope?
O2 will open a new, large shop in downtown Braunschweig in September 2025, while 70 retail spaces are vacant.
O2 opens the largest shop in Braunschweig’s city center – a ray of hope?
Something is happening in downtown Braunschweig: The mobile phone provider O2 will be moving into the former Kraemer jewelry store on Damm. The store, which has sat empty for months, offers both a new opportunity for the downtown area and a solution to ongoing retail challenges. The move was originally supposed to be accompanied by a fresh opening in January, but the plans had to be put on hold due to problems with monument protection. Final construction work will begin in August, with the new O2 shop expected to open at the beginning of September. This means that O2 will operate the largest shop in its portfolio in Braunschweig, replacing a smaller location on Münzstrasse.
But what does that mean for the city? Optimism is the order of the day: The marketing manager at “Wobtalk”, Steffen Kümmell, highlights the trend towards physical stores, which still finds room in the midst of the digital age. Customers can look forward to an open and inviting “FutureStore”, similar to the successful concepts in other cities such as Wolfsburg, Salzgitter and Peine. O2 is planning a team of six to eight employees who will support customers.
Vacancy remains an issue
Olaf Jaeschke, chairman of the Braunschweig city center working committee, names the reasons for the challenges facing retail: the growth in online trading, an uncertain economic situation in the region, especially with regard to VW, and a change in people's consumer mood. Despite stable frequencies, visitors tend to spend less money, while rising costs place additional strain on businesses. Jaeschke and his team are working intensively to shape the city center through necessary structural changes. Urban development measures are used to attract visitors and create new perspectives for empty buildings.
Events bring momentum to the city
Events are playing an increasingly important role in helping retailers. Successful events such as weekend shopping and the Mumme Gourmet Mile support retailers and bring a breath of fresh air to the city center. Around 80 vacancies were already recorded in the first quarter of 2024, which shows a slightly positive trend and indicates the efforts of the working committee.